The Love Between Us
by EmoDieKaninchen
Summary: Takano finally understands Onodera's feelings, but how does a night of drinking lead to bad boys and nosy neighbors? Please read "The Love Between Us" to find out. (The story is a lot better than the summary.)


It was cold and wet as Takano Masamune smiled and grabbed Onodera Ritsu's hand; they were both under a small overhang as the morning rain pounded the asphalt around them.

"Takano-San...w-we are in public." Onodera complained, his heart throbbing loudly as he stared up at Takano's strong, attractive jawline and thickly swallowed, trying – and failing – to get rid of the lump that had formed in his throat.

"And?" Takano replied back casually before tightening his grip on Onodera's soft, ivory hand. "I love you, so don't expect me to let go." He quickly added after he leaned in closer to him and whispered into his sensitive ear.

"S-someone might see us!" Onodera cried, feeling Takano's breath caressing his ears as he unconsciously licked his lips, catching Takano's glance for a quick second or two.

"Is that an invitation?" The tall, raven-haired man asked before turning around and pinning Onodera against the brick wall, and bringing their foreheads together – he looked too smug for Onodera's comfort.

"A-an invitation for what?!" Onodera exclaimed before he tried to wriggle out of Takano's grasp.

"This..." Takano whispered seductively; leaning in her gently, but passionately brushed their lips together. Onodera softly moaned into their gentle and sweet kiss as he leaned in for more; his heart thumping as Takano placed his hand on his chest and took hold of his deep purple shirt. "Your heart...is beating really loudly." Takano broke the kiss and whispered before caressing his younger lover's cheek in his cold, wet hand. "I love you, Ritsu." Takano smiled deeply before passionately kissing him once again, except that this time Onodera kissed back and wrapped his arms around Takano's neck.

The rain slapped the ground for another hour before lightening up, but only a touch of the storm had calmed down. The young brunette smiled as he stepped out of the overhang and felt a few drops of cold water drop on his pale and exhausted face. He looked back to Takano, who was trying to stay dry under the hang and held out his hand. "Takano...w-would you join me?" Onodera asked as he quickly drowned in the heavy rain. Takano could only shake his head as he stood straight up and walked out into the rain, grabbing Onodera's soaking, rosy palm and pulling him into a hug.

"I'll do anything with you." Ritsu heard as his older lover's heart pounded louder than his, slowly bringing light tears that mixed with the rain water.

"T-Ta- Masamune," He began, for some reason he didn't know using his first name instead of his last this time. "I-I was going to grab a drink, do you want to come with me?" Onodera felt his heart plummet to his stomach when he asked his tyrannical boss out on a date; his hands fumbling as he tried to hold onto Takano's thick wool coat.

Takano smirked and laughed through his nose before squeezing Ritsu's hand and yanking him down the street to a small and warm bar, opening the door and pushing him inside. "It's good to see you can act like a lover sometimes..." Takano commented, a light blush caressing his cheeks as he looked around at the small, but now crowded bar.

The two men grabbed a seat over by a large window that looked out to the street, showing a cleared sidewalk and plenty of traffic in the roadway. "What can I get you?" A young woman asked; her long black hair tied up in a tight bun as she smiled at Onodera and clicked her pen on the small pad in her petite hand and then looked over to Takano questioningly.

"Two beers, please." Takano said with a scratchy tone, his wet coat hung on the back of his chair as he yawned tiredly and looked towards the empty streets. The young woman bowed politely before turning away and taking the drink order to the bartender.

"So, Onodera..." Takano started talking and then turned his face back to Onodera before rubbing his temples in an attempt to help with his small but present headache. "How are things at home, with your parents?" Takano didn't know what to ask, so he simply started with a simple topic that could easily go further.

"They're okay..." Onodera began. "They are mad about me not marrying An, but they will come around." Onodera could only think of it as odd that his boss/lover had brought up something like his family, but quickly waved it off as the onyx-haired woman came back with two large, frothy beers and a small, to-share appetizer.

"What did you do with her?" Takano glared towards his beer as he picked it up, obviously jealous that the man he liked was talking about his ex-fiancée, despite the fact that he'd brought up the subject of his family in the first place. Takano took a quick sip before grabbing a potato chip and munching on it, grabbing another one while he waited on Onodera's answer.

"I did nothing with her, and anyway it isn't any of your business who I talk to or do something with." Onodera informed as he took a large swish of his beer, drinking a good quarter of it before setting his drink back down. Takano's eyebrows furrowed as he listened to Onodera, desperately wanting to tell him whom he belonged to. He didn't like the small man telling him it isn't his business, quite simply because he knew it was true, but wouldn't stop believing that he had every right to know everything about the young man.

"..." Takano was speechless as he saw Onodera continue drinking, at a heavier rate then he'd ever seen before.

Six empty mugs rested on Onodera's side of the table, he'd drunk quite a bit as his speech and judgment slowly crumbled to invisible pieces. "Takasho-Shan, happy!" Onodera mumbled, speaking nonsense as he worked on another large mug. 'This guy...is an idiot.' Takano thought before gently shaking his head, knowing he'd be taking Onodera home to his room that night.

Takano looked out to the street once again, the dark and disastrous rain that once pounded the streets had ceased and a light fog had replaced its position in the air. Takano looked over as he heard a small crash and his eyes widened when he saw glass around his foot.

"Oi, Onodera! Are you alright?!" Takano grew frantic with worry as he saw Onodera laying his head down on the table and his breathing slightly slower. Onodera gently slept like a baby as he rested his head down on the hard, wooden table, a light mutter escaping his lips after Takano softened his amber-eyes and ruffled his hair.

"Oh my…" The young woman who served them gasped, only to softly giggle as she saw Onodera passed out on the table.

"Can I get the bill?" Takano asked, looking into her soft lavender eyes that were filled with girlish amusement.

"Sure, I'll be right back." She sweetly smiled down at him and turned on her heel, grabbing their check and handing it to him a moment later.

Takano shook his head as he paid the bill and grabbed Onodera's arm, pulling him out of the booth and holding him up. "Onodera?" Takano asked before picking him up and draping the younger editor over his shoulder and lifting him up, attempting to carry him home.

"Oh, I'll get the door!" The young waitress gasped once again and rushed over to the door, shocked that Takano could carry Onodera's body weight as if it were a jug of milk.

Takano walked through the dual glass doors, bonking Onodera's sneakers on the doorframe as he walked through, causing the younger editor to moan and shake a little bit. "Takasho-shan… Don't…About… Love." Onodera was making no sense at all as he mumbled random sentences that Takano ended up mentally shrugging off as the alcohol taking over his speech and movements.

"Masamune… I… Love... You…" Onodera softly whispered next to Takano's ear, making Takano's lips softly twist into a smile and he stepped on the wet concrete, his pants legs getting soaked as he was about to walk up the large hill to his and Onodera's apartment complex.

"God, this guy is heavy." Takano complained, knowing he could gripe all he wanted since Onodera could defend himself on his weight. The darkened rain clouds finally let go of the rest of their water, draining themselves quickly down on Takano and Onodera.

"Damn it!" Takano started to make a break for it. Running up a hill was one of the worst things you could do in a rainstorm; but Takano really didn't feel like getting soaked any more than he already had. He rapidly stomped down on the wet pavement; the cuffs of his jeans soaked as his loafers caught them and sent him flying to the ground and throwing Onodera five feet across the pavement and into a light pole.

"AH!" Onodera shouted as he woke up and saw he was only seconds away from ramming his head into a thick metal pole, he reflectively wrapped his arms around his head; hoping to protect his head from jamming into the pole. Takano could only look up and grit his teeth before he got a tongue lashing from his subordinate.

'That. Look. Like. It. Hurt.' Takano thought to himself, wincing as he saw Onodera twitch in pain, he quickly got up from the pavement where he'd scuffed his cheek, left forearm and knees to help the man he loved up off the ground. "You okay?" Takano asked before extending his hand to Onodera, offering to help him up.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think it is funny to throw someone into a damn STREET LIGHT?!" Onodera was crimson with fury and needed to let it all out on the person who caused it. Takano couldn't escape his young subordinate's emotions so he grabbed Onodera by the arm, pulled him close and passionately kissed him, sending a confusing message to Onodera who was mad as hell. Onodera reluctantly gave in to the passion-filled kiss after wrapping his arms around Takano's waist and pulling him closer, his heated fury disappearing as he and Takano swirled their tongues around each other's mouths.

Takano pulled away before softly nibbling on Onodera's lower lip. He looked at his lover's arms. "Your arms will hurt in the morning. You should take a pain management pill." Takano suggested and started pulling Onodera's conscious body up the hill; towards his apartment.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Onodera demanded as his body was yanked forward and pulled up a hill.

"I have… Medicine in my apartment. I want to make sure you're okay." Takano confessed, looking down and exposing a soft, barely noticeable blush that was softly brushed across his cheeks.

Onodera bit his lower lip, his heart beating faster and faster as he felt Takano's pulse pounding against his wrist. 'It's faster…than mine.' Onodera compared, believing that Takano wasn't thinking about him in a romantic way.

The two men made their way to the large apartment complex at the top of the hill and the lobby of the complex's citrus scent filled their noses as soon as they walked into the door. Takano's hold on Onodera's hand stayed there; the older man refused to let go of Onodera. Onodera tried to yank his wrist free, he didn't want Takano being so close to him, he didn't want Takano to hear his racing heartbeat and he sure as hell didn't want Takano knowing how deeply he cared for his neighbor; knowing only hell would break loose if the dark-haired man knew about his feelings.

Onodera smiled happily as he slipped his hand away from Takano's grip, but he was stupid enough to make his escape before the elevator doors were open, making Takano just stare at him in awe. "Do you really hate me that much?" Takano asked the brunette, knowing the actual answer. Onodera looked around, his heart slowly beating faster as he saw Takano walking towards him.

"T-Takano-san! T-The doors should open soon, turn around!" Onodera started awkwardly laughing as he quickly pointed to the doors. Takano couldn't have cared less if the doors were open or not; hell he probably wouldn't have cared if there was an 800-pound bear juggling cups about on a unicycle. Onodera put his hands on Takano's chest, sighing and looking away as he fought the demons in his mind; one told him to put his heart on the line since Takano would never intentionally hurt him and the other told him that Takano was only playing with him and was going to throw him away as soon as the chase was over.

"Onodera…" Takano whispered; his brows furrowed as he awaited the answer he'd been after for the past 10 years. Onodera sniffled and looked into Takano's eyes swallowing yet again before opening his mouth to speak.

"Takano Masamune, you are… The only person… I could never… Truly… Hate." Onodera replied in a soft whisper; he had a few small tears decorating the corners of his eyes as he pulled Takano's chin down and passionately kissed him; throwing his confused and thrilled emotions into their connection. Takano smirked into the deep and sweet kiss as Onodera wrapped his arms around Takano's neck, enjoying every moment of their kiss.

The elevator doors slowly rolled open before Takano and Onodera parted their lips in unison, almost like clockwork. Onodera blushed as he looked to the floor, but quickly found himself with two left feet as he was yanked out of the elevator's deck and forced down the hall to Takano's apartment. "Come." Takano ordered in a whisper as he gently grabbed Onodera's injured wrist, careful not to hurt him, and led him into the apartment. "Takano… What are you doing?" Onodera asked as he watched from the genkan, wondering what his lover was planning to do with him. The raven-haired man walked out of the living room he'd left Onodera in and into the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later holding a small white box that held some first-aid related supplies, such as bandages, disinfectant and gauze. Takano popped the small box open and set it on the floor as he kneeled down and smiled up at Onodera. "Take off your shirt." Takano ordered, grinning as he pulled out the disinfectant and a small gauze pad. Onodera only stared blankly after he heard Takano's request.

"Huh?" Onodera didn't quite understand why he needed to take off his shirt and refused to until his boss told him why.

"I want to make sure your arms are alright." Takano sighed, not liking having to explain his intention. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his thick-black rimmed glasses and put them on so he could read the small printed instructions on the bottle.

"Don't spray in eye… Yada, yada, yada… Don't swallow…got it." Takano spoke to himself as he sighed heavily. "Take it off, Onodera." Takano ordered again, his voice sterner this time around.

"I am fine and am going home." Onodera replied back, turning on his heel and grabbing the door handle before Takano quickly got up and grabbed him.

"This is an order…from your boss." Takano grinned sadistically as he grabbed the hem of Onodera's olive-green shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the floor when Onodera's torso was freed through the use of the authority he had over the man. Takano frowned as he saw the two long and large scrape marks and the matching purple bruises on his forearm. "I'm…sorry." Takano whispered; the shame and regret of dropping Onodera swept over him. If he had never touched Onodera in the bar he wouldn't have those marks on him. The change in Takano's expression and surrounding aura caused Onodera to quickly look up.

"T-Takano-san, thank you for taking me home. You shouldn't have gone through all that trouble, but I am grateful that you did." Onodera bowed low and smiled as he extended his hand out to Takano, who held it a few seconds later.

"Onodera…" Takano whispered after he grabbed him and led him to the dark and tidy bedroom.

Onodera was terrified of the possibilities that came with being in his boss' bedroom. He felt Takano's arms sliding around his waist, making him feel uncomfortable. "T-Takano-san, please..." He murmured, looking into his eyes with distress.

"Shh." Takano kissed the younger man's collarbone, prompting him to let out a soft moan. His lips moved up his neck until they reached their destination – his lips. Onodera couldn't help but kiss back, holding onto the tall man's shirt. His fingers curled, clinging to the fabric. Takano pulled away to look into his eyes."Onodera, when you weren't... Sober..." Both of their faces went bright red. "You said something about... About love."

Onodera felt his face heating up as he tried to formulate a response, but somehow found himself at a loss yet again. What could he do? He could confess to him that he was honest about that, and that he really loved him, or he could run away from him. He could hide his feelings and pretend that the whole day had never happened.

Takano pressed Onodera up against the wall, kissing his collarbone before running his hands up Onodera's pale, flawless sides. "A-Ah, Takano-san…" Onodera whispered, not sure how to react from the touching and soft breath on his skin.

"Onodera, I want you." Takano whispered in his ear, gently nibbling the bottom of his earlobe. Onodera gave in; he loved hearing his boss's sweet and passionate words. He looked into Takano's amber-colored eyes and fell into a hypnotized state.

They tangled themselves in each other's bodies as they tumbled back into the bed. Onodera licked his own lips before kissing Takano's chest, tonguing one of his nipples before dragging his teeth over the sensitive flesh. Takano bit his lower lip and smirked before flipping Onodera to where his back was pressed against the springy mattress. Takano kissed Onodera softly before he took off his and Onodera's pants. Pulling up the sheets, he loved his lover's body two times that night.

The alarm clock rang loudly as Takano lay next to Onodera's exposed body. Onodera grunted and moaned as he sat up in the bed. Rubbing the back of his head, the brunette man looked around the familiar room.

'Takano's….bedroom? What am I doing here?' He asked himself inwardly before feeling Takano's cold wrist next to his thigh. Onodera lifted the sheets and froze when he saw their bare bodies brushing up against each other.

"Onodera, what time is it?" Takano asked as he sat up in the bed and grabbed his tiny alarm clock, quickly answering his own question.

"You have the clock…and why the hell am I in the same bed as you?!" Onodera roared, feeling a light blush grasp his cheeks as he looked at Takano's bare torso.

"You told me you loved me and then we consummated our relationship." Takano grinned, a soft smile caressing his lips before he took his lover's hand into his and kissed it sweetly, making Onodera's blush burn brighter than before.

Onodera grabbed hold of the bedding and bit his lip nervously as he groped around the floor, searching for his pants, shirt, or even his underwear. Onodera grabbed the first thing he could grab and swung it over his shoulders, the onyx-colored shirt he'd found belong to Takano, but Onodera didn't really care since he was completely naked next to his boss, for whom he held a not-so-secret love. Onodera then stumbled to the floor and saw his underwear, he casually slipped them on and then reached for the pants he was wearing the night before. He bent down to grab them, but was too slow and had them snatched up by his boss. Takano held them up high and away from Onodera as he asked the brunette a question.

"So are we going to talk about last night?" Takano had wanted to confirm that Onodera had loved him while he was sober and while they were alone.

"W-What about last night?" Onodera asked, pretending his memory was still 'hazy' from the night before and he looked down, gazing at the scratches on his forearms.

'Ah, shit! He's going to ask me about what happened at the bar!' Onodera thought to himself as he ruffled his hair, knowing that Takano wanted to confirm what he had said while he was blitzed off his ass.

"You know what happened last night, you told me you l-o-v-e-d me and are in l-o-v-e with me." Takano expressed a smug smile as he looked into Onodera's emerald eyes.

"I-I do not love you! I was simply drunk and saying stupid things! Who the hell _would_ fall in love with a tyrannical, obsessive, arrogant, self-centered prick like you?" Onodera shouted, yanking his jeans off of Takano's shoulder and put them on before storming out of the bedroom, and rushing towards the genkan to where he could put on his shoes and leave.

Onodera walked out of Takano's apartment and rushed over to his door, only to find the entry door locked. He griped as he patted down his pants pocket and shook his head. 'damn…it…" He mumbled as he heard Takano walk out with his brown messenger bag, pulling out the house keys that lay in the small pocket of the liner. "T-Thank you." Onodera choked back the words he really wanted to say before Takano handed the bag to him, but Takano was not done with Onodera. He yanked the bag back and smirked as he pulled out Onodera's house keys and stole the spare to his house.

"Okay, Ritsu…" Takano leaned in closely, making Onodera's heartbeat quickly pick up. "Tell me…who you love." The elder asked while his lips were a few inches from Onodera's soft and supple ones, the two men looked into each other's eyes.

"You. Are. Evil. Do you know that?" Onodera rubbed his forehead as Takano leaned in and stole a sweet and simple kiss.

"Yes, I do know that. If I wasn't evil, what kind of editor-in-chief would I be?" Takano rhetorically asked.

"You'd be the honorable type of chief, one that doesn't constantly feel up his new subordinate and one that knows 'no' actually means _no_." Onodera answered, somewhat ticked off.

"Ah, but if I knew no means no…then you wouldn't have fallen head over heels in love with me. Besides… You like the bad boy type." Takano slightly laughed and softly pecked Onodera's cheek before standing up and winking. The elder man left right after Onodera froze. Takano could tell that Onodera actually loved him and knew it was just a matter of time before Onodera actually admitted it.

It took a few seconds before Onodera came back to earth, he flushed red as he denied the accusation that he had a thing for the bad-boy type of guy. "I do not have a bad boy fetish!" Onodera shouted in the hallway just a few seconds before one of his elder female neighbors walked out.

"You may not, but I sure as hell do!" She answered back excitedly. "Now, show me where this bad boy is! He needs to turn a good girl to the bad side." She winked and looked at Onodera, who really wanted to die at that moment.

'This is not love, this is _not_ love. This _sure as hell_ is _not_ love!' Onodera repeated in his mind as he looked at his neighbor. He quickly bowed before unlocking his apartment door and slamming it after dashing inside.

The End.

(Hiya,

I hope you liked this one shot by me. I would like to thank Evangelina Amaryllis for editing my oneshot. I hope you guys have a wonderful day and I hope to see you in another story.

Until next time: ~Emothebunny121)

(Oh and if you could not tell I am no longer Emothebunny, or Queen Emo-ruler of her bunnies.)


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